In late 2011, hackers managed to crack into the databases of the global intelligence firm Stratfor and found a large volume of information that connected the firm with military contractors, government agencies, and confidential informants.

In the first months of 2012, these documents were made public by Wikileaks and included millions of emails, which showed Stratfor's web of informers, pay-off structure, and other vital information about their covert operations.

Stratfor has picked up the nickname "Shadow CIA" and had relationships with Dow Chemical Co., Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Goldman Sachs and various government agencies, including the US Department of Homeland Security, the US Marines, and the US Defense Intelligence Agency.

The leaked data has been published on Wikileaks website for years and is known as the Global Intelligence Files. Due to the large volume of data involved in the leak, years later researchers are still pouring through the files in search of clues that give a glimpse into secret government operations, or possible names of informants.